pederasty

the characters here have different ages than in the manga, since this is an AU. the following are their ages:
Sakuragi--23
Kaede--32
Sendoh--35
Usagi--3 1/2
Mamoru--5
Kogure--27
Akagi--27
Youhei--23

this chapter had no lemon.

***

“Dadee!” a wondrous sound woke Hanamichi up. “Wake up, Dadee!” A little hand shook him. “DADEEEE!”

Hanamichi secretly grinned as he heard the frustrated yell. Then just when the little girl gave up, he screamed suddenly and yanked the screaming girl to his bed. He laughed happily as the girl squirmed to get away from him. He gently laid the girl beside him under the blankets.

“Good morning, Usa-chan,” he murmured on the girl’s red curls.

Usagi Sakuragi pouted cutely at her childish father. She spanked her father’s shoulder angrily for scaring her like that.

“You’re so mean, Dadee,” she accused as she spanked her father some more.

“Ouch! Ouch! You’re hurting me, Usa-chan.” Hanamichi pretended to be hurt and gave his three-year-old daughter a hurt puppy look that never failed him.

Usagi looked worried and comforted her father with a little caress on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dadee.” She kissed the hurt shoulder and snuggledser ser as her father held her.

Hanamichi lovingly hugged his only daughter. She had been his salvation after his disastrous love affair. He never thought that he’d end up marrying Haruko after all.

It took him a year before he started talking to people again. And another five months before joining a party. It was on that night that he gotten himself drunk and had sex with Haruko, resulting in marriage and Usagi.

Haruko knew about his relationship with Kaede but claimed to him him a lot and willing to wait until he forgot his first love. Hanamichi cared for her and tried to make the marriage work. It did work until Haruko had a miscarriage on their second baby. There was a fatal infection of some sort that eventually killed his wife. But that was two years ago.

Now, it’s only him and Usagi, his beloved daughter.

“Dadee,” Usagi called him out of thoughts softly.

“Hm?” he answered groggily. He wanted to go back to sleep.

“Isn’t today your first day of work after our vacation?” the girl asked innocently.

“Oh shit!” Hanamichi bolted out of bed and ran to the bathroom. His daughter just calmly watched him.

“Call your uncle Youhei, Usa-chan,” he called out from the bathroom. “Tell him to pick you up immediately.”

“HAI!” Usagi answered excitedly. She had a playmate at the daycare and always wanted to be there, except when her father’s home. To her, her father was the most funny and jolly clown aroundr unr uncle Youhei owned the daycare so she got to be there for free.

Hanamichi could hear his daughter giggling. He figured that Usagi was already on the phone. He smiled as he remembered his brother-in-law, Takenori Akagi. It was his idea that Hanamichi and Haruko’s daughter be named after a rabbit.

The man had been very proud to know that his niece had a very high IQ. A real genius in everybs tes terms. He entered Usagi to a prestigious school for the gifted when Usa-chan had only been one and half years old, but Usagi hated the school. So Hanamichi entered the energetic girl on a regular daycare to the delight of the young redhead. Gori, as Hanamichi called his brother-in-law, was not happy. So, to ensure that his niece maintained her IQ level, he tutored the young girl every other day.

Hanamichi chuckled at the man’s zeal in tutoring his Usa-chan. But he was silently thankful for Takenori’s presence. At least he’d know that his daughter would get the education that she deserves.

“A real genius, eh?” he murmured under the shower. He chuckled as houghought of how perfect his life is.

***

“Good morning, Sakuragi-kun,” Ayako, the girl on the reception, greeted Hanamichi cheerfully. “How was your vacation? Had fun?”

Hanamichi laughed. “Of course! My daughter was with me!” he proudly declared.

“Oh! How is the little princess doing?” she exclaimed excitedly. Ayako often saw the young Sakuragi because she only lived a few blocks from Hanamichi’s apartment. She used to baby-sit the little tyke when Hanamichi had business meetings.

“Great! Just great, Ayako!” Hanamichi signed his daily time record swiftly. Then waved a little to the brunette as he walked past her to his office.

“Hanamichi!” someone called out to him before he got to enter his office.

Hanamichi turned around and found his boss strutting towards him.

“Hello, sir! You seem happy. What’s the occasion?” he asked good-naturedly. He smirked as his boss’ stomach bounced as the man walked.

“Ha! I can see that you haven’t heard the news yet,” Fujimaru Hino excitedly exclaimed. He reached his favorite employee and walked with Hanamichi towards the redhead’s office.

“You better take the rest of the day off,” Fujimaru declared authoritatively.

“Why?” Hanamichi calmly pointed to his boss a seat and poured him coffee from a coffee pot that he had handy on his office.

Fujimaru placed the offered coffee cup on the table. “Because we’re having a party tonight.”

“Oh?” Hanamichi looked puzzled. “Didn’t you tell me last week before my vacation that the company is having financial problems?”

Fujimaru laughed heartily at the redhead’s further confusion. “When you said that you’ll have a vacation, you really put it to a point that no business entered, huh, Hanamichi?” he asked in amusement.

Hanamichi frowned. “What do you mean? Did I miss something?”

Fujimaru laughed again. “You didn’t just miss something, you missed a lot.”

Hanamichi arched his eyebrow.

Fujimaru shook his head in defeat. But laughed hard again.

Hanamichi was getting worried for his friend and boss’ health. “You okay, Fujimaru-san?”

“Yes, I’m fine!” Fujimaru chuckled at the disbelieving look on Hanamichi’s face. “I’m fine, Hanamichi! As a matter of fact, the company doesn’t have any problems now, financial or commercial.”

Hanamichi waited entlently for his boss to continue.

Fujimaru smiled at the calm composure of the redhead. “I sold the company to a bigger company.”

Hanamichi was shocked. “Are we gonna lose our jobs?” he asked practically.

Fujimaru frowned. “No! They promised that none of the workers will lose their jobs,” he reassured the redhead.

“They always say that,” Hanamichi stated pessimistically.

“Oh stop it! You aren’t lg yog your job,” Fujimaru retorted with a snort. He glanced at the clock sto stood up hurriedly. “I have to go now. Go home and be at the party tonight, okay?”

Hanamichi nodded as he watched his boss leave his office.

***

‘I’m late! Goddamnit, I’m late!’ Hanamichi thought as he sped down the road to his office building.

Usagi had been extra active tonight and had not wanted her father to go out. She cried as Hanamichi donned his coat, making Takenori yell at Hanamichi for making his niece cry. So Hanamichi was forced to stay in the apartment until Usagi had fallen asleep, thus making him two hours late. His boss had called him fifty times already, panicking and begging him to come to the party immediately.

Hanamichi frowned as he remembered his frantic boss. ‘He sounded like I was the owner of the company,’ he thought in confusion. ‘What the hell did I miss?’

He spotted the office building and parked his car on a sidewalk parking space for him. He straightened his clothes, which had gotten a little crumpled due to Usagi’s hold.

“Here goes nothing,” he murmured under his breath as he walked to the door. The guard on duty instantly went into alert and let him in.

“Good evening, sir,” the guard greeted cheerfully.

“Good evening,” Hanamichi smiled at the man. “Are they on the main hall?”

“Yesss, sir,” the guard answered enthusiastically. “As a matter of fact, Hino-san told me to tell you that you sd hud hurry.”

“He did?”

The guard nodded.

Hanamichi smiled at the young guard again then walked to the main hall. He took a deep breath before entering. As he pushed the door open, a woman screamed his name and pulled him to the room.

“Hey, everyone! Hanamichi is here!”

Fujimaru was at his side in an instant. He hastily dragged the redhead to a far co of of the hall.

“Thank God you’re here!” Fujimaru whispered.

Hanamichi was startled at his boss’ greetings. He stalled and asked, “What’s going on? You’re acting like I’m the hero of the ball game.”

“You are!” Fujimaru replied. He pulled the redhead again. “They are over there.”

“Who’s over there?” Hanamichi was getting confused and had a feeling that he wouldn’t like this. He wouldn’t like this at all.

“The new owners.”

“Owners?”

“Yeah! Owners! There are three of them tonight and a woman. I think that she’s the mother of the two and the wife of the one.”

“Eh?”

Fujimaru and Hanamichi were still chatting when a hand clasped Hanamichi’s shoulder. Hanamichi turned around and faced his worst nightmare.

“Hana,” a baritone voice greeted him with a small smile.

Hanamichi froze then fainted.

He was right. He wouldn’t like this at all.

***

“Dadeeee! Dadee! You should wake up now! You have work today, remember?” Usagi shook her father’s shoulders in a vain attempt to make the older redhead rise from bed. When after nearly an hour that Hanamichi still hadn’t stirred, Usagi was getting worried.

“Dadee?” she placed her tiny hands on her father’s forehead to feel his temperature. She gasped and ran to the phone. She dialed two numbers then walked to to her father’s room again. She pulled a huge blanket and tucked it on top of her father. She then waited for impatiently for help to come.

***

Hanamichi groaned as he woke up. He gave the white ceiling a questioning look.

“Where am I?” he asked to no one in particular.

“You’re in the hospital,” a male voice answered.

Hanamichi turned his head. “What happened?” he asked.

“You had high fever this morning. Usagi called me and then called the ambulance. Quite an efficient person that child of yours,” Youhei muttered. He had been worried sick, and so was Usagi. Knowing his best friend’s health record, he knew that the redhead didn’t get sick often.

“What happened, Hanamichi?” Youhei inquired. “Did something big happen last night?”

Hanamichi stared at the white ceiling again.

“Where’s Usa-chan?” he changed the subject.

Youhei frowned. Something big definitely happened.

“She’s at her Uncle Gori’s house,” Youhei answered. He fell silent as he studied his friend’s expression. Hanamichi looked blank and emotionless.

“What happened, Hanamichi?” he repeated.

“He’sk, Yk, Youhei,” Hanamichi whispered softly.

Youhei’s frown deepened. “Who’s back?”

Hanamichi was silent for a moment, and then sighed deeply. “Kaede,” he murmured. He suddenly felt a pang of pain at the mere mention of his ex-lover’s name. Tears gathered and fell as the pain of the break up reemerged.

Youhei quietly clasped Hanamichi’s hand in brotherly comfort. He let Hanamichi cry as bittersweet memories of his first love replayed on his head.

“Everything will be all right, Hanamichi,” Youhei assured the redhead when Hanamichi started hiccupping. “You have Usa-chan now.”

Hanamichi nodded in agreement. His chest hurt a lot but he was unable to stop crying. “Wh…hik…am…I…gonn…a…do…Yo…u…e?” he uttered as he sobbed and hiccupped.

Youhei smiled sadly. “I don’t know,” he responded. “But I’m sure that you’ll be just fine.”

Hanamichi nodded again. He had sobered down a bit and only hiccupped loudly.

The door opened and a bouncy redhead entered the room with her gigantic bodyguard. “Dadee!”

Takenori Akagi sighed in relief that they finally made it to the room without mishap. Usagi had been very curious and wanted to visit every room of the hospital. It was only by mentioning her father that Usagi forgot her supposed tour.

“Dadee, have you been crying?” Usagi’s voice penetrated Takenori’s thoughts.

He frowned as he looked at his widower brother-in-law. He could hear loud hiccups and sear mar marks on the redhead’s cheeks. Now, what had happened again? First it was the high fever, now a crying fit. Did Hanamichi plan to make Usagi super worried? Takenori’s knuckles turned white as he tried to control his temper. He wanted badly to beat the crap out of Hanamichi for making his niece worried.

Youhei glanced at the gigantic man and sweat-dropped at the obvious anger. He sighed as he turned his gaze back to the father, who opened his arms to his daughter, which the daughter gleefully went into.

Hanamichi hugged his daughter lovingly. He breathed in his daughter’s scent as he hiccupped. He slowly lay down to bed and placed Usagi beside him.

Usagi frowned and pouted. She wiped her father’s tears away and kissed his nose. Hanamichi sighed and hugged her closer. Fresh tears fell at the tender loving care that he always got from his daughter.

“Why are you crying, Dadee?” Usagi asked as she wiped the tears away again.

Hanamichi just shook his head. He didn’t trust his voice so he remained silent. He smiled tearfully at his daughter then placed a small kiss on the child’s forehead.

“I love you, Usa-chan,” he whispered.

Usagi tucked her head on her father’s shoulder. “I love you too, Dadee,” she replied before yawning sleepily. “It’s my nap time, Dadee. We can talk later, okay?”

Hanamichi laughed. “Yeah, we’ll talk later,” greegreed. He hummed a lullaby for his daughter. Usagi smiled gratefully before falling into deep slumber. Hanamichi kept humming the song as he gazed at his sleeping baby.

Takenori was a little startled when Youhei suddenly materialized beside him. He gave the smaller man a puzzled look.

Youhei smiled sheepishly. “Why don’t we go get some coffee?” he invited.

Takenori nodded.

Youhei smiled appreciatively. He turned back to the two forms in the bed. When he felt Takenori move away, he followed him out of the room.

“Care to tell me what was that alout?out?” Takenori asked the smaller man beside him.

Youhei shrugged. “Later.”

Takenori nodded. He silently let Youhei lead him to a small café.

“They serve delicious coffee here,” Youhei promoted to the stoic man beside him. Takenori didn’t answer; instead he looked around the café and walked to a vacant seat. He motioned for Youhei to follow him so they could talk.

“So what happened?” he asked without preamble as Youhei took his seat.

“Hanamichi had a shock last night. His body went into overdrive and had a high fever,” Youhei answered like a doctor. He spotted a waiter and waved to him to come and get their orders. “A cappuccino please. What about you, Akagi-san?”

“Same,” Takenori replied. “A shock?” he asked to Youhei when the waiter left them.

Youhei nodded. “Rukawa-san’s back.”

Takenori was taken aback. “When?”

“Last night, during their company party,” Youhei replied in a cold tune. “Hanamichi told me. It seems that it was Sendoh Enterprise that bought the Hino Company.”

“I see,” Takenori muttered thoughtfully.

They fell silent as the waiter arrived with their orders.

“Mmm!” Takenori appreciated the delicious coffee as he took a sip.

“Tastes good, doesn’t it?” Youhei smiled at the gigantic man. He also took a sip and hummed in appreion.ion. “I never get tired of this cappuccino.

Takenori nodded as he took a longer draft of the warm beverage.

***

Hanamichi sniffed as he gazed at his adorable daughter.smilsmiled though pain pulsed in his heart.

‘Why do you have to come back, Kaede?’ he thought in despair. He sniffed again.

“Got yourself a cold, Hanamichi?” a friendly bespectacled guy entered the hospital room and walked to the father and daughter.

Hanamichi smiled sheepishly. “Not really, Megane-kun,” he admitted.

Kiminobu Kogure chuckled. “I’m not a boy anymore, Hanamichi. So stop calling me Megane-kun,” he reprimanded the young man softly.

Hanamichi shrugged. “You still look like a boy,” he said matter-of-factly.

Kiminobu sighed. “You’re right in that aspect, I guess.” He studied Usagi. “I knew why you were crying.”

Hanamichi frowned. “Oh?”

Now it was Kiminobu who looked sheepish. “Ayako told me about the sell. She mentioned the Sendoh Enterprise as the buyer.”

“She knew? And she didn’t tell me?” Hanamichi would have yelled if not for Usagi who needed her nap.

Kiminobu nodded. “Hino-san warned her not to tell you.”

“Why?” Hanamichi looked incredulous.

Kiminobu didn’t answer immediately. He looked around the room and spotted a chair. He walked over to the chair and dragged it near the bed. He sat down before telling Hanamichi what he knew.

“You knew about the bankruptcy of the Hino Company. Hino-san told you about it. When Hino-san talked to Akira Sendoh offering the company for sale, Sendoh-san declined. But Hino-san was adamant about selling the company to a well-known enterprise so none of the workers will lose their jobs.” Kiminobu paused. “He invited Sendoh-san to have a tour in the building. Ayako told me that she was cleaning your office when Sendoh-san, along with his father and brother, entered your office. She said that she nearly fainted to see your old lover back in town.”

Hanamichi nodded. He and Ayako had been in the same basketball team during their high school so she knew about his relationship with Kaede. Takenori and Kiminobu were best friends. He met Takenori by Haruko, and Kiminobu by Ayako. Kiminobu and Ayako were sweethearts during high school and had gotten married right after Kiminobu’s graduation in college. Kiminobu turned into a doctor in the young age of twenty-five, while Takenori turned into a college professor in Chemistry. Hanamichi graduated with honors in business administration. Most of the people who knew him in high school thought that he’d become a professional basketball player, but Hanamichi decided to take business to provide a stable income for his family. Haruko wanted him to be a pro in basketball but didn’t protest when he told her of his decision. It was a practical decision, and Hanamichi didn’t regret it. Except now, that it led him back to the source of his pain.

Kiminobu watched the emotions that played on his friend’s face. Hanamichi was caressing his daughter’s curls in an absentminded manner. The girl was all Sakuragi, Haruko had left so little mark that it was hard to tell that she was the mother of little Usagi.

“You would have looked like your daughter if you had been a girl,” Kiminobu stated to break the silence.

Hanamichi seemed startled at the sudden remark. He had forgotten that Kiminobu was with him. He smiled at the bespectacled guy. “Yeah. She’s all me. Gori would had been less worried of her future if that had not been true.”

Kiminobu laughed at the nickname Hanamichi had given his best friend. He nodded as he sobered up. “I guess. But she’s a genius, I’m sure she’ll be just fine.”

Hanamichi agreed wholeheartedly. He’s a survivor. He’d make it through the break up five years ago, and he’ll make it through again. He had his daughter now and she’ll never let him down.

“Does Fujimaru know about my relationship with Kaede?” Hanamichi asked Kiminobu.

Kiminobu nodded. “He heard of your involvement with the famous Kaede Rukawa through office gossips. He researched a bit and discovered it to be true. He must have hinted to Akira Sendoh that you worked as personnel manager to the company.”

Hanamichi thought for a moment. “So it was Akira who bought the company,” he said. “I’m surprised that his father didn’t reject the idea of buying a bankrupt company.”

Kiminobu nodded again. “He didn’t want to buy the company, but Sendoh-san included Rukawa-san in touring the building. Ayako mentioned to me that Rukawa-san seemed to be surprised to know that you worked in Hino Company. She guessed that he thought that you would want to work on the gym rather than in a small office.”

Hanamichi smiled sadly. He began twisting Usagi’s curls again.

Kiminobu pitied Hanamichi for having to endure the pain of a broken heart again. He faintly heard his name being called in the intercom. He stood up regretfully. He would have wanted to talk to Hanamichi more.

“I have to go now, Hanamichi,” he apologized. “Patients are waiting, I’m afraid.”

Hanamichi sniffed before nodding. “Thank you for chatting with me, Megane-kun. I really appreciated it.”

Kiminobu smiled gently before leaving the room.

Hanamichi sighed deeply as the door closed. He hated worryingple ple around him, but he had been doing so after his first break up. He knew that any minute now, his gang would be pounding at the door. He may hate being pampered and pitied, but he sure appreciated their care.

“I’m not alone,” he whispered as he hugged his daughter gain. The girl sensed her father’s agony even in sleep and hugged him too. Hanamichi kissed her forehead. “I’m not alone, Kaede. I have my daughter, and my friends, and myself.”

***

“It wasn’t so bad,” Mona disclosed as her whole family ate lunch with her in an expensive restaurant. “He didn’t die, he just fainted.”

Kaede rolled his eyes as Akira choked in laughter. Hisoka calmly ignored the comment. While Mamoru, Akira’s son, dozed in his seat.

Mona watched her men thoughtfully ponder Kaede’s situation. It was her doing that all four of them attended the party; Kaede wanted to go with Akira only, Hisoka would have retired in their bed early but Mona was persistent. She wanted to meet badly the boy who’d stolen her favorite son’s heart. Hisoka glared at her for encouraging their sons’ homosexual relationships, but Mona turned a blind eye to his glares.

Kaede played with his food as his mother chatted about what happened the other night. It wasn’t what he expected to happen. Akira even joked that he was expecting too much. Kaede only wanted to talk to his Hana, and maybe start their relationship again. But the idiot had fainted on him and before Kaede could even say a decent word of apology when he woke up, Hanamichi bolted out of the building like the very devil was after him. Kaede sighed dejectedly.

Akira grinned at the heartbroken Kaede beside him. “Cheer up, Kae-chan. He worked in that office, you’ll see him again and have another chance of talking to him,” he encouraged his younger brother.

Kaede just looked at him emotionlessly. “He didn’t go to work yesterday,” he informed the smiling man.

Akira ignored him as he wiped his son’s drool off. “Damn, Kaede! You’re becoming a bad influence on Mamo-chan here.”

Kaede just gave him a blank look.

“Maybe you should bring him flowers. Akira, you knew where the redhead lives now, don’t you?” Mona suggested hopefully.

Hisoka narrowed his eyes. He didn’t want to put his family on the gossip columns again, but he also didn’t want to lose Kaede. That stupid son of his had tried suicide more than three times already in the past five years. So he silently stood in the background as Akira bolstered Kaede’s confidence in facing the redhead. He honestly couldn’t understand why his two sons ended up being gay.

Akira finished cleaning his son’s face. “Yeah, I do. But wouldn’t it be like Kaede here is courting a girl?”

“He’s gay, isn’t he?” Mona asked innocently.

Both of her sons gave her blank look. Hisoka gave her another glare.

“’Ma,” Kaede whined.

“Okay, fine!” Mona looked around the restaurant while the Sendoh men went back to their lunch.

The entrance opened and two tall men entered with a shorter guy and a beautiful girl. Mona immediately recognized Hanamichi and excitedly slapped Kaede’s shoulder.

“Kaede, look,” she pointed at the newcomers. Due to her excited face, thet oft of the men in her table looked at the direction she was pointing.

Akira whistled, Hisoka raised an eyebrow, and Kaede was struck motionless. He tried to stand up only to find Mamoru on his lap where Akira placed him after cleaning him up. Mamoru was jostled in the sudden movement and woke up. He stared blearily at his uncle.

Kaede smiled at his nephew. “Go back to sleep, Mamo,” he whispered. “Daddy will take care of you.” He then moved to place the young raven-haired boy in Akira’s lap. Akira protested but Kaede gave him a glare. He hastily straightened his tie and stood up regally to block the redhead’s path as they passed by their table.

Hanamichi screeched loudly and nearly had cardiac arrest when Kaede blocked his path. He didn’t expect to see the raven-haired guy today. He was planning to have a peaceful day with his daughter.

“Hush, Dadee,” Usagi reprimanded her father. “People are staring at us.”

True enough, people were staring at them.

Hanamichi turned beet red in embarrassment. Kaede smiled lovingly at Hanamichi. Mona and Akira snickered, along with Youhei. Takenori and Hisoka maintained an impassive face. Mamoru, in the meantime, observed his uncle and the man with redhead, and then looked at Usagi, who was perched on the redheaded man’s shoulders.

Kaede noticed the little girl for the first time. He heard about the redhead’s marriage and the onset of his wife’s death. Akira notified him of the birth of the first baby, but he didn’t remember the child being described. He was now amazed at the likeness of the child to his darling Hanamichi.

Mona stood up to walk over to the father and daughter. She cooed at the redheaded toddler. “Hello. What’s your name, little one?” she asked.

“I’m Usagi,” Usagi beamed at the friendly lady. “And this is my Dadee.” Usagi gleefully pointed her tiny fingers to her father’s head.

Hanamichi sheepishly smiled at Mona. He knew who she was from the family photograph that Kaede had once shown him. “Good afternoon, ma’am,” he greeted respectfully.

Mona smiled at the young man. “Why don’t you join us?” she invited.

Hanamichi shook his head. “Thank you, but no. Gori reserved us a seat over there.” Hanamichi pointed to a table in the corner.

“I’m sure the management will arrange something,” Mona insisted. She clapped her hands and two waiters approached.

“Yes, ma’am. Would you need anything, ma’am?” the two chorused.

Usagi watched the two with large eyes. “Wow!” she exclaimed as the two chorused again after Mona ordered them to get a larger table.

Hanamichi dreaded this moment. As what he remembered, Mona loved Kaede a lot and had wanted to meet him years ago but never had the time. Kaede once warned him that Mona could be very pushy. He looked at Kaede from the corner of his eye and found the guy looking at him. He blushed furiously and turned his eyes away when Kaede found him staring. He silently apologized to Youhei and Takenori as he glanced at them. Youhei just shrugged while Takenori remained impassive.

Hanamichi felt Usagi move to get down from her perch and let his daughter down gently.

Usagi ran to Mona and stared at the lady adoringly. “How’d you do that?” she asked the smiling woman.

Before Mona could answer though, Mamoru beat her to it. “Stupid! If you have money then you could make people do everything for you,” he said snobbishly.

Usagi puffed up angrily for being called stupid. “FUCK YOU!” she cried out angrily.

Hanamichi stared at her, aghast at what he heard that he forgotten to be self-conscious. “Where did you learn such language, Usa-chan?” he asked in shock.

Usagi calmed down bit. She innocently looked up at her father. “I heard you say it often, Dadee.”

BAM!

“Ouch!” Hanamichi cried in pain as a merciless fist connected with his head. “Why’d you do that, Gori?!”

Takenori would have hurt him some more if Youhei didn’t stop him. He was breathing fire and wanted nothing more than to pummel the redhead to the floor for teaching his beloved niece such foul language.

“You dare ask?!” he growled menacingly.

Youhei stood between his best friend and the furious gorilla nervously. He sweat-dropped as Hanamichi snorted.

“I didn’t teach her that. How am I supposed to know she’s listening?” Hanamichi puffed up similarly like Usagi as he defended his side of the story.

Takenori made a move to pummel Hanamichi again but Youhei blocked him. “You moron! You should always be careful of what you’re saying in front of Usagi!” he shouted.

Youhei’s sweat-drop grew bigger. He was getting conscious of the staring public. “Hush now, Akagi-san. People are staring at us.”

“Dadee?” Usagi tugged Hanamichi’s shirt. When her father looked down, she asked innocently, “What’s a moron?”

That shut the two adults up. Hanamichi cockily glanced at the blushing Takenori. “You were saying?”

Mona lned ned to the two men fight with wide eyes. While Kaede stood beside Hanamichi in case the huge gorilla attacked his redhead. And Akira watched the exchange with an amused expression. He would have laughed out loud if not for the warning glance he got from his father. He coughed delicately to get ttandtanding group’s attention.

“Why don’t we all sit down?” he bid the group.

He smiled as each person took a seat. Kaede clearly wanted to sit beside Hanamichi but the redhead had chosen a seat between Akira and Youhei. So, Kaede was forced to sit between Mona and Takenori.

Akira gave Usagi an apologetic grin as the little girl settled down on her father’s lap. “I’m sorry for what Mamo-chan had said, chibi.”

Usagi smiled brightly at him. She liked Akira instantly. “That’s okay. Is he always that mean?” She pouted as she glared at Mamoru who calmly stared back at her.

Akira chuckled. “You are a Sakuragi, aren’t you?”

Hanamichi blushed as Usagi nodded vigorously.

“He’s not always mean, Usagi-chan,” Mona apologized. “He’s just a little spoiled, that’s all.”

Usagi studied Mamoru critically. “How old are you?” she asked the silent boy haughtily.

“Why do you wanna know?” Mamoru retorted with a raised eyebrow. The Sendoh pride ran true in his blood. “Want to be my girlfriend?”

The adults gasped in surprise while Usagi cried in outrage. “YUCK! Who would wanna be your girlfriend?! You’re not even a man!”

Hanamichi wisely clamped a hand to his daughter’s mouth before Takenori decided to skin him alive.

Before Mona could stop her grandson, he already muttered in indignation, “I bet you’ll be begging me to marry you in the future!”

Usagi struggled angrily out of her father’s arms to attack the boy across the table. Unfortunately for her, she’s too small.

“I’d rather be a nun!” she yelled when her father’s hold on her mouth had loosened a bit.

Hanamichi stood up with his squirming bundle. “I’m sorry but I’m afraid that this lunch is over for us,” he uttered ruefully to Mona. Takenori and Youhei also stood up. They followed the redhead as Hanamichi walked out of the restaurant.

The Sendoh family stared at the retreating group in silence.

Akira chuckled lightly. Turning to his son, he stated happily, “You like her.”

The five-year old Mamoru shrugged his tiny shoulders. “I want arryarry her when I grow up,” he informed his family with finality.

Hisoka smiled for the first time since he found out about his sons’ scandalous relationships. “Consider it done, Mamoru,” he contentedly agreed.

Mona and Akira silently laughed while Kaede sulked. He was hoping to have lunch with Hanamichi.

“Cheer up, Kae-chan,” Akira taunted his younger brr. “r. “Your nephew had just gotten himself a fiancée.”

Kaede looked at Mamoru. He smiled at the prospect of having his Hana’s little girl a member of their family. “We’ll court them together, ne, Mamo?”

Mamoru smiled at his uncle. He nodded in agreement.

***

Usagi was upset and so was her father. Takenori wasn’t happy and Youhei was silently laughing at them.

“I hate him, Dadee,” Usagi stated as her father placed her in a lounge chair. They were in Youhei’s backyard, waiting impatiently for Youhei to finish cooking their lunch.

Hanamichi absentmindedly nodded. He was thinking of Kaede and what excuse he would use so he won’t have to go to work tomorrow.

Takenori scowled at the two redheads. He was not happy to know that his niece learned such foul language from him. He should have been more careful.

“He was mean and… and he… he called me stupid!” Usagi panted as she vented her anger. She pouted when she realized that her father wasn’t listening to her. “Dadee, are you listening to me?!”

“Of course, Usa-chan,” Hanamichi answered sheepishly. “He was mean indeed.”

Usagi scowled at her father. “YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!” she screamed at Hanamichi. “You’re thinking of that man that’s why you’re not listening to me!” Big tears formed at little girl’s eyes as her lower lip quivered.

BAM!

Hanamichi gained another lump in the head care of Takenori Akagi. He ignored the gorilla though.

“That’s not true, Usa-chan,” Hanamichi denied. “I was listening to you. I wasn’t thinking of any … man.” He sweat-dropped as he realized that his daughter had noticed Kaede’s gaze on him.

Usagi seemed content with her father’s lame explanation. She wiped her tears away. She thoughtfully studied her father. “Is he your friend, Dadee?”

Hanamichi was taken aback at the sudden inquiry. “Who do you mean, Usa-chan?” he asked though he knew who Usagi was talking about.

Usagi shrugged. “The man who blocked our path. You seemed scared when you saw him,” she explained.

Takenori frowned. Everyone who got acquainted with Hanai ani and Usagi knew of the child’s uncanny ability to sense people’s emotion. But the ability was usually tuned to the father’s emotions so the child was somehow protected from people’s curiosity. That ability made a bull’s eye today.

Hanamichi sadly smiled. He was praying that his daughter wouldn’t be affected by his mood swings. “Don’t worry, Usa-chan,” he reassured her. He sat beside his daughter and hugged her tightly. “Dadee will take care of himself, okay? That man will not hurt me again.”

“He hurt you before?” Usagi asked.

Hanamichi chuckled mirthlessly. His Usagi always talked like an adult though there are things that she’d never understand. “Yeah, he did,” Hanamichi admitted. It was easier to tell the truth to his daughter than lying; he always got caught every time he tried to lie. “I cared for him a lot before. But he left me for someone else.”

Usagi nodded like she understood. “That’s okay, Dadee. If he hadn’t left you, I wouldn’t be born.”

Hanamichi laughed for real this time. He hugged Usagi tighter. “I love you, Usa-chan.”

“I love you too, Dadee. So don’t cry anymore, okay?” Usagi wiggled her fingers on Hanamichi’s nose.

Hanamichi nodded vigorously. “I promise, no more crying.”

Takenori watched the two redheads with envy. He often asked himself if there would ever be a time that someone would care for him and vice versa. He heard a soft shuffle beside his chair. He looked up and stared at Youhei.

Youhei smiled apologetically at Takenori. “Sorry. It’s just that I don’t want to disturb them so I approached you. Lunch is already served,” Youhei explained.

Takenori nodded. He looked at the two hugging redheads again before following the smaller man towards the house.

***

“Are you going to work tomorrow?” Youhei asked his best friend as they sat in front of the television. They had just finished dinner and were sitting on the lounge to watch a movie. It was warm that night so they prepared lemonade with ice. The moon and stars were out to give light to the darkened world that night.

Hanamichi nodded. “I’m running out of excuses. And Fujimaru had called me and threatened to fire me if I don’t go to work soon.”

“He won’t do that,” Youhei said. “The Sendoh Enterprise might pull their stocks if he does that.”

Hanamichi nodded again. He stared intently at the television. He could hear Takenori’s voice from the other room teaching Usagi the basics of arithmetic, and Usagi’s unending questions.

Youhei calmly poured himself a glass of lemonade. He sighed as he leaned back to his chair. He hummed softly a sad love song that was his old favorite.

Hanamichi heard his best friend hum a song, and sang the lyrics of the song along withhei’hei’s humming.

*I saw an old friend of ours today*
*She asked me about you*
*I didn\'t quite know what to say*
*Heard you\'ve been making rounds ‘round here*
*While I\'ve been trying to make tears disappear*

Tears pricked Hanamichi’s eyes as he thought of how the song fit his pathetic love life.

Youhei stirred a little when Hanamichi started singing, but he continued humming as Hanamichi sang.

*Now I\'m almost over you*
*I\'ve almost shook this blue*
*So when you come back around*
*After painting the town*
*You\'ll see I\'m almost over you*

‘The key word here is *almost*,’ Hanamichi thought with a humorless smile. Hysterics bubbled up, and Hanamichi started laughing.

Youhei shut up and looked at his friend with worry. He rose from his seat and poured Hanamichi a glass of lemonade.

“Here, have some,” he said as he offered the glass to the hysterical Hanamichi with so little emotion on his face. Hanamichi hated being pitied so it’s wiser to make it look like he didn’t care.

Hanamichi took the offered glass with a nod of appreciation to Youhei. “Thanks,” he murmured before taking a long drink of lemonade.

Youhei went back to his idle position on the lounge chair. He sipped lemonade from his unattended glass and listened to the garble of the television. Suddenly the television went off and they could hear Takenori’s enraged voiced boom at the other room.

“Seems like we’re having a power shortage,” Youhei uttered with a smile as another bellow from the other room could be heard. “And Gori’s not happy.”

Hanamichi nodded, but didn’t laugh with Youhei. He sat back and stared at the stars above them. He remembered staring at those stars five years ago with Kaede. He sighed as pain ebbed again. It seemed to him that everything he does reminds him of Kaede, and its irritating the hell out of him.

Youhei rose in his chair as a crash sounded from his living room. “I better check up on those two. They might ruin my interiors if they keep smashing my furniture.” He walked away and entered the dark living room.

Takenori gave another bellow when he was frightened with the sudden appearance of Youhei. Youhei laughed at the man’s reaction, which gave him another bout of yells from Takenori. Usagi wisely groped her way out of the living room before she got accidentally crushed with her uncle’s weight. She instantly spotted her father with the help of the moonlight.

“Dadee!” she greeted with a warm hug to Hanamichi.

Hanamichi hugged his daughter back. “How was your study, Usa-chan?”

“It’s okay,” Usagi answered. She then yawned. “I’m sleepy, Dadee.”

Hanamichi smiled in the dark. “Go to sleep then. We can’t go home yet for our car is in your uncle Youhei’s garage. I’ll just tuck you here beside me okay?”

Usagi nodded. “Okay. I love you, Dadee. Good night.” She squirmed a little to find a comfortable position before lying still on her father’s chest.

Hanamichi massaged her head as he hummed her a lullaby. He closed his eyes as well after a few minutes and fell asleep.